The military tactic of frontal assault is a direct, hostile movement of forces towards enemy forces in a large number, in an attempt to overwhelm the enemy. This is often referred to as a "suicide strike," because it is often a commander's last resort when he has run out of strategies. Military tactics is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ...

Before the 19th century, a frontal assault against a thin line could be effective when conducted by horse cavalry. However, as the accuracy and range of firearms increased, this procedure proved increasingly suicidal. Cavalry charges against deeply-regimented infantry formations were also frequently repulsed as exemplified by the Battle of the Golden Spurs in Flanders in 1302. Combatants Flanders France Commanders Willem van Gullik Pieter de Coninc Guy of Namur Robert II of Artois Strength 9,000 8,000 Casualties 100 est. ...

As an example, this style of combat was used heavily in the American Civil War. The type of militaries used as well as the terrain lent themselves to direct frontal assault, and most of the battles of the Civil War were fought in this manner. However, this style of combat was rapidly becoming out-classed due to the increased accuracy of rifles. Near the end of the war, the failed Pickett's Charge demonstrated just how disastrous frontal assaults against fortified positions could be. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Map of Picketts Charge, July 3, 1863. ...

Frontal assaults were also the cause of massive casualties in the trench warfare of World War I. In many cases, frontal assaults were made by thousands of men towards trenches defended by machine gun emplacements, artillery and barbed wire with predictable and tragic results. Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... Combatants Allied Powers: France Italy Russia Serbia United Kingdom United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Conrad von... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

See also

• Military science
• Rush (computer and video games)